


Storyteller's Medicine

by methylviolet10b



Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes (Downey films)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Gen, Prompt Fic, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 02:22:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15132995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/methylviolet10b/pseuds/methylviolet10b
Summary: Holmes asks Watson to tell him a story. He has his reasons. Watson tries to oblige.





	Storyteller's Medicine

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Starting off JWP in style, with a snippet and whump. And absolutely no beta. This was written in a huge rush. You have been warned.  
> Author's Notes: Written for the following prompt: One Thousand and One Nights: Have one character tell a story to another.

“Tell us a story, old boy.”  
  
The sheer unexpectedness of the words jolted me back to full awareness as little else could have done. Holmes – the man who mercilessly mocked my writing, publicly sneered at any mention of the cases I had successfully published – asking me to tell him a story?  
  
“I’m that badly off, am I?” I muttered, putting as much strength as I could muster into my voice.  
  
It didn’t fool my friend. His arms tightened around me. “I think so, yes, but you’re the medical man. You really must stay conscious in order to monitor your patient until Bradstreet returns with reinforcements. So, physician, heal thyself. Stay awake, and tell me a story.”  
  
I didn’t remember Bradstreet being with us, or him going away. When had that happened? What else had I forgotten? Was there a very unHolmesian note of anxiety in his voice? I was in no state to judge any of these things. Concussion seemed a likely diagnosis to add to my list of other injuries.   
  
“Watson, I really must insist.” No mistaking the sharpness of Holmes’ voice this time.  
  
I could not refuse him. I never could. “All right, Holmes, but no complaints. You asked for this.”  
  
“I await your story with great anticipation, I assure you.”  
  
“Very well.” I hesitated, my mind a confusing blank, as dark and blurry as my sight. Digging deep, I found a memory. “I had a cat once, when I was a young boy. He was a great beast of a moggy, larger than my brother’s terrier. A better fighter, too. Harry disliked him for that, but my mother loved him for his rat-catching ways and wouldn’t hear of getting rid of him. He used to sleep in my bed and keep me warm, and he followed me everywhere.”  
  
“Are you sure he wasn’t a dog? Cats are not usually known for following their owners.”  
  
“He always came when I called, you know.”  
  
“That too sounds most un-cat-like. What was this miraculous cat named?”  
  
For a frightening moment I couldn’t remember, and then it came to me. “Shadow. I did say he followed me.” I yawned. “And he wasn’t miraculous, just improbable. Rather like you, in fact.” The words came out before I could think better of them.  
  
I felt more than heard Holmes’ amused huff. “I’ve been called many things, but I’m not sure improbable is one of them.”  
  
“But you are.” I wanted to say more, but sudden fear froze my tongue in my mouth. Someone like Holmes was so very unlikely, almost unbelievable. Really, how could he be true? He was much more like a story, a fantastical story, than anything else. I couldn’t remember now how I’d met him. Was he even real, or was he some figment of my imagination? Where was he, anyway? Why couldn’t I see him?  
  
I thought I heard a distant voice shouting, calling something, but I couldn’t make it out over the ringing in my ears and the confused doubt drowning out all other thought. And then there was nothing at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted July 1, 2018

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Bitter Tale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15258570) by [methylviolet10b](https://archiveofourown.org/users/methylviolet10b/pseuds/methylviolet10b)




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